Lithium is a medication used to treat bipolar disorder (manic depression). This article focuses on lithium overdose, or toxicity.

• Acute toxicity occurs when you intentionally or accidentally swallow too much of a lithium prescription.
• Chronic toxicity occurs when you slowly take a little too much of a lithium prescription every day for a while. This is actually quite easy to do, as dehydration, other medications, and other conditions can easily interfere with lithium in your body and cause it to build up.
• Acute on chronic toxicity occurs when you take lithium every day for bipolar disorder, but one day you take an extra amount (as little as a couple of pills or as much as a whole bottle).

See: Overdose

Eskalith toxicity; Lithane toxicity; Lithobid toxicity; Lithonate toxicity; Lithotabs toxicity

Lithium, a soft metal

Lithium is sold under various brand names, including:

• Cibalith
• Carbolith
• Duralith
• Eskalith
• Lithane
• Lithobid
• Lithonate

Note: Lithium is also commonly found in batteries, lubricants, high performance metal alloys, and soldering supplies. This article focuses only on the medication.

ACUTE TOXICITY

After taking too much lithium you will have symptoms such as:

• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Stomach pains
• Vomiting
• Weakness

You may also have some of the following nervous system symptoms, depending on how much lithium you took:

• Coma
• Hand tremors
• Incoordination of arms and legs (ataxia)
• Muscle twitches
• Seizures
• Slurred speech
• Uncontrollable eye movement (nystagmus)

Heart problems may occur in rare cases.

CHRONIC TOXICITY

You will likely not have any gastrointestinal symptoms. Symptoms that may occur include:

• Increased reflexes
• Slurred speech
• Tremors

In severe cases, you may also have nervous system and kidney problems such as:

• Kidney failure
• Memory problems
• Movement disorders
• Problems keeping salts in your body
• Psychosis

ACUTE ON CHRONIC TOXICITY

You will likely get some gastrointestinal symptoms and many of the severe nervous system symptoms listed above.